Polaroid MY MEMORIES SUITE User Manual

My Memories Suite

Operation

Manual

1 – My Memories Suite User Guide 20070809

Welcome to My Memories Suite™, a fully digital scrapbooking solution. Every memory you capture—photos and video, journaling and audio recordings—can be created into one master album to share any number of ways. Photobooks, interactive discs, print pages at home, upload to an iPod or Internet, you name it. Bring your memories to life, and share them for a lifetime. My Memories Suite by Polaroid gets you to the FUN faster!

Using This Guide

This guide is separated into three major sections:

Introduction (page 6)

This section contains information about computer system requirements and installing the software.

Using My Memories Suite (page 11)

This section will guide you through the steps of creating a My Memories Suite album, including adding and editing photos, layouts, and adding multimedia elements.

My Memories Suite Interface Reference (page 106)

This section describes each menu item and toolbar icon, as well as the Control Panel on the right side of the program.

My Memories Suite User Guide – 2

My Memories Suite

Memories Viewer

Design Elements and Page Layouts

Copyright © 2007 StoryRock, Inc. and its licensors. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable copyright laws. Content cannot be used in any form for commercial use without express written consent from StoryRock.

The Sentry Spelling-Checker Engine

QuickTime®

QuickTime and the QuickTime logo are trademarks used under license. The QuickTime logo is registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Trademarks

The My Memories Suite and StoryRock logos are trademarks of StoryRock, Inc. Polaroid’s logo is a trademark of Polaroid.

QuickTime and QuickTime logos are trademarks used under license. The QuickTime logo is registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other company and/or product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers.

Copyright © 2007 StoryRock, Inc. and Polaroid. All rights reserved. This document and the software that it describes are furnished under license and may only be used in accordance with the terms of such license.

“Polaroid” and “Polaroid and Pixel” are trademarks of Polaroid Corporation.

3 – My Memories Suite User Guide

Introduction.................................................................................... 6

Computer System Requirements................................................................................. 6

Installing My Memories Suite...................................................................................... 7

Installing My Memories Suite on Windows Vista................................................................................7

Installing My Memories Suite on Windows XP ...................................................................................8

Installing My Memories Suite on a Macintosh....................................................................................9

Updating My Memories Suite ...................................................................................... 9

Customer Support......................................................................................................... 9

Important Album Information .................................................................................. 10

Using My Memories Suite ........................................................... 11

The Interface ............................................................................................................... 11

Starting an Album....................................................................................................... 12

New Album Options ............................................................................................................................12

Recent Albums ....................................................................................................................................13

Using the Designer Template Wizard.................................................................................................13

Designing Your Own Album...............................................................................................................17

Opening an Album..............................................................................................................................18

Album Pages ................................................................................................................ 21

Adding a Page .....................................................................................................................................21

Adding or Changing a Background Image........................................................................................22

Photo Layout .......................................................................................................................................23

Page Order ..........................................................................................................................................23

Importing Pages ..................................................................................................................................24

Working with Page Objects ....................................................................................... 26

Selecting Objects .................................................................................................................................26

Cut, Copy, and Paste...........................................................................................................................27

Moving Objects....................................................................................................................................27

Aligning Objects..................................................................................................................................28

Grouping Objects ................................................................................................................................28

Deleting Objects ..................................................................................................................................29

Layers ..................................................................................................................................................29

Choose Color.......................................................................................................................................30

Photos ........................................................................................................................... 34

Adding Photos .....................................................................................................................................34

Editing Photos.....................................................................................................................................37

Text............................................................................................................................... 45

Adding Text .........................................................................................................................................45

Editing Text.........................................................................................................................................46

Other Control Panel Options ..............................................................................................................47

Embellishments ........................................................................................................... 50

Adding Embellishments ......................................................................................................................50

Editing Embellishments ......................................................................................................................51

Shapes........................................................................................................................... 54

Adding Shapes.....................................................................................................................................54

Editing Shapes ....................................................................................................................................54

Video and Multimedia ................................................................................................ 59

Video Files (Quick Introduction) .......................................................................................................59

Add Sweet Spot Link ...........................................................................................................................59

Edit Sweet Spot Link ...........................................................................................................................65

Music and Narration................................................................................................... 66

Add/Change Music..............................................................................................................................66

My Memories Suite User Guide – 4

Add/Change Narration .......................................................................................................................67

Checking an Album .................................................................................................... 70

Preliminary Suggestion: Back Up the Album....................................................................................70

Viewer Mode........................................................................................................................................70

Check Spelling ....................................................................................................................................71

Check for Errors .................................................................................................................................72

Album Output Preparation .................................................................................................................73

Sharing Your Album .................................................................................................. 75

Print.....................................................................................................................................................77

Printing Services .................................................................................................................................81

Export to JPEG...................................................................................................................................84

Photobook............................................................................................................................................87

Greeting Card......................................................................................................................................90

Interactive Album................................................................................................................................91

Make Movie.........................................................................................................................................94

iPod-ready Movie ................................................................................................................................96

Burn DVD-Video.................................................................................................................................98

Preferences................................................................................................................. 101

Font Tab............................................................................................................................................101

Captions Tab .....................................................................................................................................101

Shadow Tab.......................................................................................................................................102

Grid/Ruler Tab ..................................................................................................................................103

Thumbnail Cache..............................................................................................................................104

Message Reset ...................................................................................................................................104

Album Properties ...................................................................................................... 105

Album Info ........................................................................................................................................105

Transition ..........................................................................................................................................105

Navigation Bar ..................................................................................................................................105

My Memories Suite Interface Reference ................................. 106

Menus and Toolbars ................................................................................................. 107

Menus ................................................................................................................................................107

Toolbar Icons ....................................................................................................................................110

Photo Thumbnails..................................................................................................... 112

Page Canvas............................................................................................................... 113

Right-Click Menu..............................................................................................................................113

Double-Click .....................................................................................................................................113

Control Panel............................................................................................................. 114

Backgrounds .....................................................................................................................................115

Photos ................................................................................................................................................116

Text ....................................................................................................................................................124

Embellishments .................................................................................................................................127

Shapes................................................................................................................................................130

Video & Multimedia..........................................................................................................................134

Music & Narration............................................................................................................................141

Photo Layout .....................................................................................................................................143

Check Album.....................................................................................................................................144

Share Album......................................................................................................................................145

Page Thumbnails....................................................................................................... 147

Right-Click Options...........................................................................................................................147

Reordering Pages..............................................................................................................................147

5 – My Memories Suite User Guide

INTRODUCTION

This section will describe how to get My Memories Suite set up on your computer. Please ensure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements.

Computer System Requirements

Prior to installing My Memories Suite, ensure that your computer meets the following technical specifications:

Windows:

• Windows XP or Vista

• Pentium 4, 1 GHz or better (1.6 GHz recommended) or comparable AMD processor

• 512 MB RAM available (1 GB or more recommended, 1 GB required for Windows

Vista users)

• 16 MB Video RAM (64 MB recommended)

• Available Hard Disk Space: Install disc requires 700 MB, each extra disc is 700 MB

Macintosh:

• OS X 10.4.x or greater (with latest Java update)

• G4 500 MHz or Faster (G5 1 GHz or better recommended)

• 512 MB RAM (1 GB or more recommended)

• 8 MB Video RAM (64 MB recommended)

• Available Hard Disk Space: Install disc requires 700 MB, each extra disc is 700 MB

Other Requirements

• QuickTime Player version 7.1.0 or higher is required. (Available on the My

Memories Suite disc 1 or at www.quicktime.com.)

System Settings

• Monitor Resolution: 1024 x 768 or higher (1152 x 864 or higher recommended)

Recommended Additional Equipment

• CD or DVD Burner (Required for interactive album and DVD-Video output options)

• Printer

• Speakers

• Digital Camera

• Microphone

• Digital Camcorder

• Scanner

My Memories Suite User Guide – 6

Installing My Memories Suite

Installing My Memories Suite on Windows Vista

1. Insert the Polaroid My Memories Suite Program Disc into the CD or DVD drive of your computer.

2. The disc is programmed to auto run and will prompt you to run Menu.exe. Click on the Run Menu.exe button to begin.

Note: If the disc does not automatically run, double-click on the Computer icon on the desktop (or click Start > Computer). Right-click on the CD drive, and select Open from the menu that pops up. Then double-click on Menu(.exe).

3. Click on the first menu item, Click Here to Install My Memories Suite.

4. A prompt will appear, asking for your permission to continue. Click on the Continue button to authorize My Memories Suite installation.

5. If installation does not begin, send an email to technical support at

mymemoriessuitesupport@polaroid.com. Please note that the installation window

may be hidden behind other windows. If nothing seems to be happening, look for the “install4j Wizard” on the taskbar (bottom bar in Windows).

6. Before installing My Memories Suite, the installer will check to make sure you have a recent version of QuickTime installed on your computer. If prompted, click on the Next button to return to the main menu, click on the QuickTime Installation option from the menu, and follow the instructions to install QuickTime. After QuickTime is installed, you will be returned to the menu. Click on the My Memories Suite installation button to proceed with My Memories Suite installation.

7. Allow the My Memories Suite installation to keep the default settings and locations. If you need to do a custom installation, please read each on-screen step carefully.

8. During the installation, enter the product key that came with your software in the Software Registration step.

9. My Memories Suite includes discs with additional content. To install all of the discs at once, have the discs ready and insert the discs after installing the program disc. Each disc is independent – you may install any or all of them.

10. When installations has finished, close all installation windows.

Other My Memories Suite CD Menu Options

• QuickTime Installation – QuickTime is required to install and run My Memories

Suite. Install QuickTime by clicking on this item.

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• Open User Guide – This option enables you to open instructions on how to use the

many features of My Memories Suite in a printable format.

• Visit Our Website - Visit our website at www.MyMemoriesSuite.com for

information, updates, support, downloads, and more.

Installing My Memories Suite on Windows XP

1. Insert the Polaroid My Memories Suite Program Disc into the CD or DVD drive of your computer.

2. The disc is programmed to auto run and will automatically launch a menu.

Note: If the disc does not automatically run, locate the CD from My Computer. Click with the right mouse button on the CD drive, and select Open from the menu that pops up. Then double-click on Menu(.exe).

3. Click on the first menu item, Click Here to Install My Memories Suite. If installation does not begin, send an email to technical support at

mymemoriessuitesupport@polaroid.com. Please note that the installation window

may be hidden behind other windows. If nothing seems to be happening, look for the “install4j Wizard” on the taskbar (bottom bar in Windows).

4. Before installing My Memories Suite, the installer will check to make sure you have a recent version of QuickTime installed on your computer. If prompted, click on the Next button to return to the main menu, click on the QuickTime Installation option from the menu, and follow the instructions to install QuickTime. After QuickTime is installed, you will be returned to the menu. Click on the My Memories Suite installation button to proceed with My Memories Suite installation.

5. Allow the My Memories Suite installation to keep the default settings and locations. If you need to do a custom installation, please read each on-screen step carefully.

6. During the installation, enter the product key that came with your software in the Software Registration step.

7. My Memories Suite includes discs with additional content. To install all of the discs at once, have the discs ready and insert the discs after installing the program disc. Each disc is independent – you may install any or all of them.

8. When the installations have finished, close all installation windows.

Other My Memories Suite CD Menu Options

• QuickTime Installation – QuickTime is required to install and run My Memories

Suite. Install QuickTime by clicking on this item.

• Open User Guide – This option enables you to open instructions on how to use the

many features of My Memories Suite in a printable format.

• Visit Our Website - Visit our website at www.MyMemoriesSuite.com for

information, updates, support, downloads, and more.

My Memories Suite User Guide – 8

Installing My Memories Suite on a Macintosh

1. Insert the Polaroid My Memories Suite Program Disc into the CD or DVD drive of your computer.

2. Double-click on the CD-ROM image on your desktop to view its contents.

3. Double-click the menu icon (double-click to start).

4. Click on the first menu item, Click Here to Install My Memories Suite. If installation does not begin, please send an email to technical support at

mymemoriessuitesupport@polaroid.com.

5. Allow the installation to keep the default settings and locations. If you need to do a custom installation, please read each on-screen step carefully.

6. My Memories Suite includes discs with additional content. To install all of the discs at once, have the discs ready and insert the discs after installing the program disc. Each disc is independent – you may install any or all of them.

7. When installation has finished, close all installation windows.

Other My Memories Suite CD Menu Options

• Open User Guide – This option enables you to open instructions on how to use the

many features of My Memories Suite in a printable format.

• Visit Our Website - Visit our website at www.MyMemoriesSuite.com for

information, updates, support, downloads, and more.

Updating My Memories Suite

My Memories Suite includes regular updates to the program with enhanced features and fixes. It is important that you register the software at

www.MyMemoriesSuite.com/registration to keep informed of any updates. We strongly

recommend that you install updates as they become available. To update My Memories Suite, choose Help > Check for Updates from the menu (Internet connection required).

Customer Support

If questions arise while using or installing the software, don’t hesitate to check the My Memories Suite website or email our technical support specialists.

Website: www.MyMemoriesSuite.com

E-mail: mymemoriessuitesupport@polaroid.com

9 – My Memories Suite User Guide

Important Album Information

These items are important and will help you avoid serious problems with your albums.

• Read the Album Output Preparation topic on page 73. This information about trim

areas and DVD-Video creation will make the difference between excellent results when printing, creating a photobook, and creating a DVD-Video or problematic album output.

• Do not delete your album files prematurely. Keep your album and all related files

(videos, images, audio) on your computer’s hard drive until you have created the final output (print, interactive album, DVD-Video). If you are sending or uploading the album for printing or other production, keep all files on your computer until you receive and check your shipment.

• Follow all Check Album steps. We highly recommend that you follow the steps in

the Check Album menu before using the Share Album menu to create your album output. This will ensure the best results in the final output.

• Always exit the software. Always exit the software before logging off or turning off

your computer to avoid corrupting your album.

• Ensure adequate hard drive space. My Memories Suite albums require large

amounts of hard drive space. Check your computer for free hard drive space on a regular basis. If you run out of space while you are building your album, you may lose some of your work.

• Backup your albums. To avoid losing your work, we recommend backing up your

albums to an external drive, USB flash drive, or to CD or DVD. Copy the entire album folder, typically located in My Documents/My Memories Suite Albums (Windows XP) or Documents/My Memories Suite Albums (Windows Vista, Mac OS X).

My Memories Suite User Guide – 10

USING MY MEMORIES SUITE

This section will help you get started quickly by giving you instructions for using the most important features of My Memories Suite.

The Interface

We’ll start by looking at the layout of the program. The My Memories Suite interface can be divided into five areas, as shown below.

1. Menus and Toolbars—Most application functions can be accessed through this area.

2. Photo Thumbnails—Drag photos from this panel onto the page canvas to add a photo to the page. Dragging a photo onto a photo box will place the photo in the box.

3. Page Canvas—Page elements are displayed in this area. The Page Canvas is where you will create the album by adding backgrounds, photos, embellishments, images, text, audio, and Sweet Spots (links to video files or other items).

4. Control Panel—This area gives you access to My Memories Suite’s editing tools.

5. Page Thumbnails—The bottom area of My Memories Suite displays thumbnails of your album pages and allows you to rearrange, add, and delete pages. The names of background music files are shown beneath the album pages. Page changes will not be reflected in the thumbnail until you open another page or save the album.

Pop-up Navigation Area—Interactive albums will include a bar that has navigation buttons similar to a Web browser. This bar will appear at the bottom of the presentation area as a viewer moves the mouse to the bottom of the screen. Warning: Sweet Spots

placed in this area may interfere with the ability to access pages. Preview the album

to check for problems by clicking on the

Memories Suite Interface section on page 106 for more information on the interface.

icon located on the toolbar. See the My

11 – My Memories Suite User Guide

Starting an Album

When you first open My Memories Suite, a welcome screen appears.

New Album Options

There are two options when creating a new album. Click on one of the two buttons to continue.

Create Album From Designer Template

Select this option to create an album using professionally-designed layouts with a theme of your choice. Insert your photos automatically during album creation, or add them individually. See Using the Designer Template Wizard option. Designer Templates are only a starting point; you retain the full ability to add, delete, or move page objects.

Design Your Own

The Design Your Own option gives you complete control over all design decisions. Choose this to begin creating your page one element at a time. See Designing Your Own

Album on page 17 to continue with this option.

on page 13 to continue with this

My Memories Suite User Guide – 12

Recent Albums

To continue working on an existing album, click on one of the album thumbnails. Note: Hovering the mouse cursor over and album thumbnail will display its name. See Opening

an Album on page 18 for more information.

Using the Designer Template Wizard

The Designer Template process creates an album from professionally-designed page layouts. In addition to choosing the Designer Template to use as a basis for your album, you can customize the page order and choose whether to place photos automatically during the Designer Template creation, or individually afterwards.

The Album Wizard will guide you through the steps of creating a new album. If the Album Wizard is not already open, you can get to it by choosing File > New Album from the menu and clicking on Create Album From Designer Template.

Step 1: Choosing a Designer Template

In this step you will choose the Designer Template that will be the basis for your album. The list shows the available choices.

• Click on a column heading (Name, Theme, Shape, or Pages) to sort the list by that

item.

▫ Clicking on the Name heading will sort the available designs alphabetically by

name.

▫ Click on the Theme heading to sort the designs according to its category.

▫ Click on the Shape heading to sort the designs by the album shape of the design:

Landscape, Portrait, or Square.

▫ Landscape designs have an aspect ratio that is the same as standard paper (11” x

8.5”), is suitable for printing up to 11” x 8.5”, and is ideal for most digital output options (interactive album or DVD-Video).

▫ Choose a square album design if you plan to print on square paper (e.g. 8” x 8”).

Square albums can be printed up to 12” x 12”.

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▫ Portrait album designs, which work well for cards, use the same aspect ratio as

standard paper and can be printed up to that size (8.5” x 11”).

▫ Click on the Pages heading to sort the designs according to the number of page

layout options the design provides.

• Click on a template name. A preview will appear in the lower part of the screen.

• Click on Custom Page Arrangement to customize the order of the pages (see

instructions below).

• When you have made your selection, click Continue.

(Optional) Custom Page Arrangement

This screen allows you to customize the order of the page layouts.

• Click on a page from the Available Pages area and drag it down into the Custom Page

Arrangement area (or click on the Add Page button).

• Continue adding pages as desired.

• To rearrange pages in the Custom Page Arrangement area, click on a page and hold the

mouse button down, drag the page to its new location, and release the mouse button. A green line indicates where the page will move.

• To remove a page from the custom arrangement, click on the page and then click the

Remove button.

• The Go Back button will return you to the Designer Template selection screen,

discarding any changes.

• To accept your custom page arrangement, click the Continue button.

My Memories Suite User Guide – 14

Step 2: Inserting Photos

Choose a method for adding photos to your album: automatically or individually.

• Click on the Insert Photos Automatically option to add photos automatically during

the creation of the album. Click on the Continue button and see the Choosing Photos instructions below.

• Click on the Insert Photos Individually option to immediately create the album

without photos. The album pages will have photo boxes that you can double-click to add your photos. See Adding Photos on page 34 for more information. After choosing

Insert Photos Individually, click the Continue button and skip to Step 3: Naming the

Album on page 16.

Choosing Photos

If you chose the Insert Photos Automatically option, you will now be prompted to choose the photos to add during album creation in the Add Photos window.

• Choose the folder with your photos using the left side of the Add Photos window (or

from the drop-down menu at the top).

• Click on the thumbnails of your photos on the right side of the window to select them

(you may select more than one) or click on the Select All button at the bottom of the window. Click on OK to add the photos to your album.

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Organizing Photos

The Organize Photos window allows you to add more photos, remove, rearrange, or rotate photos.

• Click on the Add Photos button to add more photos.

• To remove a photo from the album, click on the photo thumbnail in the preview pane

and then click on the Remove button.

• Photos will be placed on pages in the order that they appear in the preview pane. To

rearrange photos, click on a photo thumbnail, hold the mouse button down, and drag the photo to a new position. A green line will show where the photo will be placed.

• If a photo is sideways, click on its thumbnail in the preview pane and then click the

Rotate 90° button. To select and rotate multiple pictures, hold down the Ctrl key (Apple key on the Mac) as you click on the thumbnails.

Click the Continue button when you have finished adding and organizing photos.

Step 3: Naming the Album

• Type a name in the box under What do you want to name this album?. When My

Memories Suite creates your album, this will be the name of the album folder. You will not be able to create two albums with the same name in the same folder.

• Click on the yellow open folder icon to choose a location for your album (or make a

note of the default location). Browse to a folder in the Open dialog, click on it, and click the Select Folder button.

My Memories Suite User Guide – 16

When you have made your choices, click on the Create Album button.

Album Creation

My Memories Suite will now create the album. This process may take a few moments. When the album is complete, My Memories Suite will display the album. The Page Canvas will display the first page of the album, while a preview image of all the other album pages will appear in the Page Thumbnails bar near the bottom of the screen.

To begin editing pages and photos, see the topics starting with Album Pages on page 21.

Designing Your Own Album

The Design Your Own option allows you to begin working with your album immediately.

If the New Album Options window is not open, choose File > New Album from the menu and click on the Design Your Own button.

1. In the New Album dialog:

• Type a name in the Album Name box. When My Memories Suite creates your

album, this will be the name of the album folder. You will not be able to create two albums with the same name in the same folder.

• Click on the yellow open folder icon to choose a location for your album or make a

note of the default location. Browse to a folder in the Open dialog, select it, and click the Select Folder button.

• Click on one of the Landscape, Square, or Portrait buttons to choose the album

shape.

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▫ The landscape option creates an album with an aspect ratio that is the same as

standard paper (11” x 8.5”), is suitable for printing up to 11” x 8.5”, and is ideal for most digital output options (interactive album or DVD-Video).

▫ Choose the square album if you plan to print on square paper (e.g. 8” x 8”).

Square albums can be printed up to 12” x 12”.

▫ Portrait albums, which work well for cards, use the same aspect ratio as

standard paper and can be printed up to that size (8.5” x 11”).

• When finished, click OK.

2. In the Select Photo Layout dialog:

• Click on a photo layout option or select a blank page from the list on the left side.

• A preview of the selected photo layout will appear on the right. Dark gray boxes

represent photo boxes and can be deleted if desired.

• The number preceding the ‘L’ in the layout name represents the number of

landscape-oriented photo boxes, while the number preceding the ‘P’ represents the number of portrait photo boxes (e.g. 1L1P-Casual-S-18 is a layout with one landscape photo box and one portrait photo box).

• Click on the OK button to create the album with the selected layout.

3. My Memories Suite will now display the album. See the following topics for information on typical starting points:

Adding Photos on page 34

Adding a Page

on page 21

Adding or Changing a Background Image on page 22

Adding Embellishments on page 50

Opening an Album

To return to a previously-created album, do one of the following:

Method 1: New Album Options

1. When you first open My Memories Suite, the New Album Options window appears. Click on one of the album thumbnails in the Recent Albums area to open an album.

My Memories Suite User Guide – 18

2. If the album does not appear in the Recent Albums area, click on the More… button.

3. In the Open Album window, browse to the album folder and either double-click it or click on it once and then click the Select Album button.

4. My Memories Suite will open the album.

Method 2: File Menu

1. Choose File > Open Album from the menu.

2. In the Open window, browse to the album folder (not file) and double-click it, or click on it once and then click the Select Album button in the lower right corner.

3. My Memories Suite will open the album.

Method 3: Recent Albums

1. Click on the File menu.

19 – My Memories Suite User Guide

2. Hover the mouse over Recent Albums to display the last few albums that were open in My Memories Suite.

3. Click on an album name to open it.

My Memories Suite User Guide – 20

Album Pages

See the topics below for information about adding pages, changing an album page photo layout, changing the page background, and more.

Adding a Page

There are three ways to add a page:

• Choose Insert > Add Page from the menu.

• Click on the Add Page icon on the toolbar.

• Click on a page thumbnail in the Page Thumbnails (bottom bar of My Memories Suite)

using the right mouse button (Ctrl-click on the Mac). From the menu that appears, choose Insert Page After or Insert Page Before. After the page is created, it will appear either after (Insert After) or before (Insert Before) the page that you clicked on. This approach gives you the flexibility of choosing where the new page will be created.

Each of these methods will pop up the Select Photo Layout window.

In the Select Photo Layout window:

• Click on a photo layout option or select a blank page from the list on the left side.

• A preview of the selected photo layout will appear on the right. Dark gray boxes

represent photo boxes and can be deleted if desired.

• The number preceding the ‘L’ in the layout name represents the number of

• Click on the OK button to add the page to your album.

21 – My Memories Suite User Guide

Adding or Changing a Background Image

There are two ways to access background choices:

Method 1: Control Panel

1. Select a page by clicking on it in the Page Thumbnails (bottom bar of My Memories Suite).

2. Click on Backgrounds in the Control Panel (the right side of My Memories Suite) to reveal available category choices.

Method 2: Arrange Menu

1. Select a page by clicking on it in the Page Thumbnails (bottom bar of My Memories Suite).

2. Click on the Arrange menu and hover the mouse over the Change Background menu item. A submenu will appear with the available category choices.

After accessing the background categories:

1. Click on one of the background category icons (Color, Paper, etc.).

2. The background category determines how you select the background:

Color Backgrounds:

Click on a color square from the Swatches tab. For more information about the other color selection tabs, see the Choose Color topic on page 30.

Paper, Designer Template, and Texture Backgrounds:

In the Add Background window, click on the plus symbol or arrow next to subcategory names to display the available backgrounds. Click on a background name to see a preview to its right.

Custom:

Click on this icon to browse to an image file on your computer. Click on a thumbnail in the right side of the Choose Background Image window. My Memories Suite will set

My Memories Suite User Guide – 22

the file that you chose as the page background. Please be aware that the image file will be cropped to fit the shape of the album.

3. Click OK to assign the selected background to the current page.

4. You can change the background on all pages in the album to match the current page’s background by clicking on the Apply Background to All Pages button in the Control Panel (the right side of My Memories Suite).

Photo Layout

To change the photo layout on a page:

1. Click on the page to change.

2. Click on Photo Layout in the Control Panel (right side of the program).

3. Click on one of the available layout options. My Memories Suite will rearrange the photos on the page to fit the new photo layout.

Notes: Please be aware that if you choose a layout with fewer photos than the current page, My Memories Suite will remove some of the photos from the page.

My Memories Suite will crop photos (as needed) to make them fit the layout that you choose. For example, if the current page contains one photo in portrait orientation and one in landscape and the new layout contains two landscape photos, My Memories Suite will crop the portrait photo on the current page to make it a landscape photo.

It is best, but not necessary, to choose layouts that contain the same type of photos as the current page. You may also reposition the photo within the crop area or create a new crop area.

Click on the Add Additional Photo Box button to add a new photo box to the current layout. The photo box will appear in the center of the page. Move the photo box by clicking on it, holding down the mouse button, and dragging it to a new location. Resize the photo box by clicking on it and then dragging one of the handles (light gray boxes) that appear around the edges of the photo box. Corner handles resize the photo box proportionally, while side handles stretch out a single edge.

Page Order

To reorder pages in an album:

1. Click with the mouse on a page in the Album Thumbnails (the bottom portion of My Memories Suite) and hold the mouse button down as you drag the page to a new position, as shown below:

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2. As you move the current page in the Album Thumbnails, the other pages will be automatically rearranged to show where the page will be placed.

3. Release the mouse button to place the page. My Memories Suite will move the page to its new position.

Importing Pages

Use the import function to copy a page (or pages) from another album into the current album, or to combine albums. Importing pages will also copy any background images and associated music files.

To import a page:

1. Choose Insert > Import from My Albums from the menu.

2. In the Import Pages window:

• Click on the open folder icon at the top right of the window to browse for the

album containing the pages to import. Please note that you must select an album that has the same album shape as the current album.

Tip: If you would like to import pages from an album that does not have the same shape as the current album, you can change the album shape of the current album or the album that you would like to import by choosing Edit > Change Album Shape from the menu. Please note that this action cannot be undone.

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• In the Import from other Album window, double-click on the name of an album or

click on the name of an album folder and then click on the Select Album button.

• The Import Pages window will now display all available pages in the Select the

pages to import area. Click on a page name to select it. To select multiple pages in

sequence, click on the first page and then hold the Shift key while clicking on the last page. Select multiple non-sequential files by holding down the Ctrl key (Apple key on the Mac) as you click on pages.

• Check the Show Preview box to see what the selected page looks like. If multiple

pages are selected, only the first selected page will be shown.

• Click on one of the placement options (end of album, after current page) to choose

the initial location for the imported page(s). Pages may be moved or reordered later (see Page Order on page 23).

• When you are satisfied with your selections, click on the Import button. You may

repeat the Import action for other pages or albums without closing the Import Pages window. To import from another album, simply choose another album by

clicking on the open folder icon at the top of the window.

• When finished importing, click the Close button. The imported pages will be in the

current album in the location you selected.

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Working with Page Objects

A Page Object is anything that you place on a page, such as photos, text, Sweet Spots (links to videos, other album pages, etc). All of these objects can be modified on the page using cut, copy, paste, and move operations. Also, click on the Arrange menu or right-click (Ctrl-click on the Mac) for more editing options.

Selecting Objects

In order to move or modify objects that you placed on the page (photos, text, etc.), you will need to select the object first. To select an object, click on it once.

You can select multiple objects by holding down the left mouse button and dragging a selection rectangle over the objects you would like to select.

Example of selecting multiple objects using the drag method:

The gray box is the selection rectangle. Any objects that are fully or partially inside the selection rectangle will be selected when you release the mouse button.

You may use this click-and-drag method when selecting a single object as well.

You can also select multiple objects one at a time by holding down the Shift key while clicking on the objects. If multiple objects are already selected, deselect a single object by clicking on the object with the left mouse button while holding down the Shift key.

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To select all the embellishments on an album page, choose Arrange > Select All Embellishments from the menu.

To select all of the objects on an album page, choose Arrange > Select All from the menu.

Cut, Copy, and Paste

To remove, duplicate, or move (between pages) a page object, use the Cut, Copy, and Paste functions.

Cut

1. Select the object(s) to be cut (see Selecting Objects on page 26).

2. Select the Cut icon or choose Edit > Cut from the menu.

3. The cut object(s) is now available for pasting anywhere in the album.

Copy

1. Select the object(s) to be copied by clicking on it.

2. Select the Copy icon or choose Edit > Copy from the menu.

3. The copied object(s) is now available for pasting anywhere in your album.

Paste

1. After cutting or copying an object, select the page where the object(s) should be pasted.

2. Either click on the Paste icon or choose Edit > Paste from the menu. The object(s) will be slightly offset from the original position.

3. To paste objects without an offset, click on the icon or choose Edit > Paste In Place from the menu at the top of My Memories Suite.

Moving Objects

To move an object (on a single page):

1. Select the object to move and hold the mouse button down.

2. While holding the mouse button and dragging, the object may be placed anywhere on the page. A light gray outline of the object will assist in placing the object properly.

3. The process for moving multiple objects simultaneously is the same. Simply select the objects to move by clicking on them while holding down the Shift key (Apple key on the Mac). You may also select all of the objects on a page by choosing Edit > Select All from the menu. Then move the objects as you would a single object (also, see

Grouping Objects

on page 28).

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Aligning Objects

Page Grid

To ensure accuracy when aligning objects, an overlay grid can be placed on the Page

Canvas. Click on the Grid icon

or choose View > Show Grid to display the grid.

Choose View > Snap to Grid to have the top left corner of objects line up with the nearest grid line when you move them.

The grid will not appear in the final album output (print, JPEG output, DVD-Video, etc.).

Align Menu

Another way to align objects on the Page Canvas is with the Align menu item. The first six options align selected objects in reference to each another. The last two options align objects with respect to the page.

1. After selecting one or more objects, choose Arrange > Align from the menu (also available from the right click menu).

2. Using the submenu that appears, choose from the list of available alignment options:

• Top – Aligns all selected objects to the topmost object on the page.

• Middle – Lines up the vertical middle of each selected object.

• Bottom – Aligns all selected objects to the bottommost object on the page.

• Left – Aligns all selected objects to the leftmost object on the page.

• Center – Lines up the horizontal center of each selected object.

• Right – Aligns all selected objects to the rightmost object on the page.

• Center Vertical on Page – Places all selected objects in the vertical center of the

page.

• Center Horizontal on Page – Places all selected objects in the horizontal center of

the page.

Grouping Objects

Grouping objects will fix the position of objects in relation to one another so that you can move them without changing their position relative to each other (e.g. a photo and a mat). Please note that grouped objects may only be moved (objects must be ungrouped to be able to apply effects or edit in any way).

To group objects:

1. Select all of the objects to be grouped (see Selecting Objects on page 26).

2. Choose Arrange > Group from the menu.

To ungroup objects, click on the object group and choose Arrange > Ungroup from the menu.

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To move grouped objects, click on the object group and hold down the mouse button. Drag the group to a new position on the page, and then release the mouse button to place it.

Deleting Objects

My Memories Suite provides a number of ways to remove objects from the album.

1. Select the object by clicking on it.

2. Do one of the following:

• Choose Edit > Delete Object from the menu.

• Click on the Cut icon.

• Choose Edit > Cut from the menu.

• Hit the Delete key on your keyboard.

• Click on the object with the right mouse button (Ctrl-click on the Mac) and choose

Delete from the menu that appears.

Layers

My Memories Suite puts each page object on its own layer. Layer order determines which objects display on top of other objects if they overlap. You can change an object’s layer by

clicking on the Change object layer icon on the tool bar or by right-clicking on the object itself (Ctrl-click on the Mac).

General Guidelines

• Sweet Spots are always the topmost layer on the page canvas.

Note: The Sweet Spot outline is for editing assistance only; it will not appear in the album’s final output (print, DVD-Video, etc.).

• The most recently placed page objects will have a higher layer order and therefore

display on top of older page objects by default.

• All objects will display on top of the background image.

To adjust layers:

1. Select the object to adjust.

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2. Choose Arrange > Order from the menu and click on the desired action or right-click on the object and select the action from the pop-up menu.

Note: Sweet Spots cannot be moved underneath other objects.

• Bring to Front – Places the object on top of all other objects.

• Send to Back – Places the object behind all other objects.

• Bring Forward – Moves the object up one layer.

• Send Backward – Pushes the object back one layer.

If you are trying to move an object above/below another object, you may need to choose an action several times before you see the desired effect, especially when there are many objects on the page.

Choose Color

A number of functions provide advanced color choices through My Memories Suite’s Choose Color dialog.

The Choose Color window will open when you:

• Click on the More Colors button in the Text Editor window when adding or editing

text.

• Click on the Change Color button in the Text or the Shapes sections of the Control

Panel.

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